Sinéad O’Malley’s wine appeared quietly on our radar in late summer, just as harvest ’25 was kicking off across Germany. Soon after, we had the chance to meet, raise a glass together, and talk about what led her to this very first release: Something to start. Born and raised in Rheinhessen, Sinéad started working in a wine bar when she finished art school, uncertain which path to take next. Enthused by the wines but less so by the customer-facing aspect, she jumped at the chance to switch to a role in the local vineyards. Working with plants soon had her hooked, and she embarked on a year of voluntary nature conservation. She began a winemaking apprenticeship in 2016, thrown into her first harvest at a 40 ha, conventional winery in Rheinhessen, before a year with biodynamic winery Melsheimer in the Mosel. It was a huge shift, and one that reinforced Sinéad’s commitment to nature and sustainability. Rather than working with formulaic recipes and an array of additives on hand to steer the wines, she was drawn by an approach that required careful attention, adaptability and intuition. Fast forward through experience in California and Australia, to wine studies at Geisenheim and harvest 2020: an internship with Franz Weninger and a chance meeting with Emily and Christoph who, a year later, founded Wein Goutte on the outskirts of Hüttenheim. It was clear they shared the same values; a big picture approach that included vegetable production and circular farming systems. Since harvest ’23, Sinéad has become an invaluable part of the Wein Goutte team, deeply involved in every aspect of the winery. Watching her maneuver a loaded forklift in the confines of the cellar is truly something to behold, but just one of her many skills.
Sinéad began making this wine shortly after arriving in Hüttenheim. Whole bunches were crushed underfoot, given a two day maceration, and fermented in stainless steel before barrel aging. With a little space left in the barrel, Sinead discovered a dame-jeanne of Muscaris hiding in the corner of the cellar; the perfect perfume bomb to complete her wine. Bottled at the end of August ’24 with a minimal amount of sulphur, this is a crisp, fruit-driven wine with candy vibes and yellow fruit. The artwork is Sinead’s own; a tribute to her love of plants. Next year will see the release of Sinead’s second wine, but in the meantime she is tending a tiny plot of Müller-Thurgau. Tucked beneath the forest, away from the other vineyards, these 50 year old vines hold the promise of something special.